


these things take the most from us

by necromantrix



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, POV Second Person, Reincarnation, welp idk how else to tag this so here we go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necromantrix/pseuds/necromantrix
Summary: You're the mother of the Hero of Time, and nothing prepared you for this.





	these things take the most from us

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for the LoZ fandom and my first fic in second person, so I'm hoping this goes over well. I'm really, really new to this fandom, but I've recently immersed myself in a lot of lore and information and I have a friend who adores the series. This fic was brought about after some conversations with her.
> 
> The title is from the song 'These Things,' by Mother Falcon.

     You’re the mother of the Hero of Time, but you don’t know it. Not yet.

     It’s a non-issue; any of the Hylian children or young teens could turn out to be the Hero whenever the need arises. It could be anyone, so the thought of the Hero being  _ your  _ child is naught but a distant thought, not strong enough to be considered a fear.

     It starts young; nightmares that wake him in the middle of the night in tears. Nightmares of pain, of loss, of failure, of the sweat and blood of battle. Memories of lending a hand, of adventure, of supporting the citizens of the kingdom in any way possible. They’re nothing but vague flashes that hint at thoughts and feelings when he explains them, and that’s vague enough for you to dismiss away.

     It’s just the stories, you tell yourself; you tell your friends in hushed tones as you voice your concerns of the week to one another. Just the stories, told as bedtime tales and legends of the land. They get into his head, and some of them are  _ so detailed, of course _ he’d have nightmares. That’s all they are. Stories, caught in the mind of a creative, bright child.

     You comfort him as best you can, holding him close to you and gently wiping his tears as you promise him that nothing bad will ever happen to him. The words feel like dust in your throat and you can’t explain away the doubt twisting your stomach into knots.

     He’s always been a quiet child, prone to nonverbal communication rather than talking, but that’s become more pronounced since the dreams began. Now it’s difficult to get a word out of him, and you make sure he learns to sign proficiently every night by the light of the fire.

     He’s always been a strong child, but recently he seems more inclined to do more work. He steadily grows stronger every day, and all you can do to help is make sure there are tasks for him to work at.

     He’s always been your child, but lately he’s become a child of the town. He helps wherever he can, befriending people as though he’s afraid everyone will slip away in the blink of an eye; as though he feels stronger bonds will help hold them closer.

     You’re the mother of the Hero of Time, but you don’t accept it. Not yet.

     You haven’t done this before. There’s no dreams to guide you, no memories to soothe you. There’s no feeling inside you that  _ this is the way it’s always been; it’s okay to feel afraid but you also have to let go. _ This is uncharted territory for you and your trembling soul, but you know your task is easy, no matter how much it hurts: help him grow and nurture him for as long as you can, then let him go.

     Soon he’ll be torn away from you to fulfill his duties to the kingdom, his life pouring through an hourglass with the grains of sand remaining concealed from view. He’ll die young, like they always do, living a selfless life of love and loss. He won’t grow old in a calm town. He won’t live a simple life.

      _But…_

     He will fight for the light of Hyrule. He will do his duty and protect all he can.

     He will do what he’s done through many lives and what he’ll do through many more, and when you look into his eyes the day you admit it to yourself, you’ll know that he wouldn’t put this burden on anyone else. As tales of darkness begin to spread, you’ll know that you did all you could to help him grow. As you help him pack some small amount of supplies, you'll know that you did all you could to prepare him for this.

     And as he signs  _ I love you _ and you see him for what you know deep in your gut is always,  _ always _ the last time, you know he’ll be the one to save all of Hyrule, and you couldn't be more proud.

     You’re the mother of the Hero of Time, but you won’t be again. But you don’t regret that you were.


End file.
